Tim Kier, the Antietam athletic director, was thrilled the other night as he looked around at a packed gym and felt the buzz for the anticipated showdown with Central Catholic.

The Mounts hadn't played a home game in that kind of atmosphere in years.

They've had some great runs in basketball over the decades. They won back-to-back state championships in 1971 and 1972, three straight District 3-A titles from 1970-72 and five Berks Conference titles, between 1941 and 1968.

They had strong teams in the early to mid 1980s, and again in the mid-90s, but have hit a dry spell in recent years. Antietam hasn't finished with a winning record in eight seasons, and hasn't made the Berks playoffs in nine.

That string of non-winning seasons should end this season, as could the playoff drought.

The Mounts won their first seven games this season before losing to Central 63-49 Tuesday. They showed enough in that game to stamp themselves as legitimate playoff contenders and a team that could make the state playoffs as well.

Antietam was within a point of one of the top-ranked Single-A teams in the state midway through the third quarter and trailed by just four entering the fourth. Not bad, considering it was without its leading scorer, Anthony Johnson, who had been suspended earlier that day for an in-school problem.

Antietam coach John Rizzo said he was more proud of his players after that defeat than he had been after any of the previous wins.

Despite being outmanned and short-handed the Mounts made a game of it.

"The big thing is, we wanted to come in and compete," said Rizzo, in his third season as head coach. "Despite the adversity we wanted to come out in front of our fans and make it a game, and show not only Central and our fans but to Berks County that Antietam is going to be very competitive this year.

"We shouldn't be taken lightly, and every game we play we're going to set ourselves up for an opportunity to win."

Rizzo took some lumps in his first season because of a commitment to play younger guys. The Mounts finished 2-20 but seeds were planted and the tone was set.

They finished .500 last year, getting knocked off in the opening round of districts by Central.

Guards Corey Steele and Hayden Lee got lots of valuable minutes as freshmen two years ago. They were joined in the starting lineup by Johnson and Andrew Day last season.

That foursome forms a solid nucleus and gives the Mounts plenty of scoring options.

They should be good enough to hold off Wyomissing and Holy Name for the second playoff spot in Berks IV and figure to get a top seed in the District 3-A playoffs, behind Central and Greenwood, which is undefeated.

The Mounts won't have to worry about an opening-round game against the top seed, which they got a year ago.

The problem, though, is that no matter where they turn the Cardinals will be in their way, whether it's for a division or league title, in districts or in states, because they share Class A status.

Rizzo doesn't back away from the challenge. His team might not be good enough to unseat the Cards but he welcomes the opportunity to compete with them.

"The great thing is we get to play Central a few more times and take another shot at them," he said. "It's a double-edged sword, of course, because the other side of that is, it is Central.

"A lot of teams might not want to embrace that, but we do."

Getting to the line

Schuylkill Valley is definitely one team you don't want to put on the free throw line. The Panthers are making a Berks-best 73.1 percent of their shots, one reason they're off to such a strong start.

Schuylkill Valley's Nate Hartlieb is hitting a Berks-best 84.2 percent of his free throws; teammate Jahron Mathies, who topped the county last season, is third at 83.7.

The Panthers get to the line a lot, too, averaging 18.1 free throws per game. Seven Berks teams get there more often.

Gov. Mifflin tops the list, averaging 24.5 free throws per game. Twin Valley is next at 21.3, followed by Reading High (21.0), Boyertown (20.8) and Daniel Boone (20.1).

Boyertown's Dylan Pasik has been the most adept Berks player at getting to the line, taking 71 free throws.

Gov. Mifflin's Javar Colon is next with 70, followed by Boone's Kevin Riccio with 67 and Twin Valley's Kyle Wangler with 60.

District 3 peek

Just three teams remain unbeaten in District 3: Eastern York, Lancaster Catholic and Greenwood.

Eastern and Lancaster Catholic are both in Class AAA; Greenwood is in Class A.

Catholic owns wins over Trinity and Wilson, on back-to-back nights.

Eastern's biggest challenge will come Jan. 28, when it plays Chester.

Showdown looming

Wilson lost to Reading High by just a point the last time they met, in a District 3-AAAA semifinal in March.

Whether the Bulldogs can supply such a stiff challenge when the Red Knights visit West Lawn Thursday remains to be seen.

The Bulldogs are coming off an impressive win over previously unbeaten Pottsville, but also have a pair of lopsided losses, to Cocalico and Lancaster Catholic, on their resume.

The Red Knights have competed well against some of the top teams in the state, Chester and Constitution, though the lineup has been fluid of late, stemming from disciplinary issues.

Reading swept the three-game series last season, winning by 22 at West Lawn and by three at the Geigle.

A year earlier Wilson won both meetings.

The teams have split their last 10 games, dating to 2007, when the Bulldogs beat the Knights three times in a nine-day span - a feat likely never before accomplished against Reading.

Free throws

At 0-7, Oley Valley is off to its worst start since 1993-94, when it opened 0-8 and won just one of its first 13 games.

Reading High is averaging 75.0 points per game, highest in District 3. Bishop McDevitt is next at 73.1

York High (8-1), which hasn't lost since falling to Reading High Dec. 11, plays Dallastown (10-1) tonight

Steel-High, a state champion just three seasons ago, might not even make districts this year. The Rollers are off to a 1-7 start.